Apartment Hacks: DIY Hanging Organizer

Is your home littered with small items that you can’t organize? The thing with clutter is that it creeps and builds into a giant mound of mess in no time at all. One day, you have a small pile of stuff lying around and the next, the entire space is littered with junk!

If your home could use a little tidying up, here’s a great tutorial to keep clutter at bay: a hanging organizer. This is a multipurpose keeper of small items that always end up cluttering your space. You can hang this organizer anywhere in the home, it’s quite versatile.

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

I found a great tutorial on thelovelydrawer.com. This hanging organizer is sturdy because the base is made from plywood. You can use any type of rigid material as the base for the hanging organizer but lightwood is perfect for this project. It keeps the hanging organizer flat as a board even when you overload it with stuff. The textile used is supple but thick, it won’t rip easily.

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

While you can always buy a hanging organizer at the local mall, nothing beats making something awesome from scratch, am I right? I say this hanging organizer is even better than store-bought ones because it’s more hard wearing. It’s also customizable, you get to choose the print, size, color, and materials that you like.

Step 1: Measure and Drill the Base

One thing to keep in mind before making your own hanging organizer is that this tutorial requires a power drill. Don’t worry, you’ll only use the power drill to drill two tiny holes into the light wood.

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

Start by measuring the plywood with a ruler and marking where to drill the holes on either side of the board. Once the holes are marked, put a layer of spare wood under the organizer base to protect the surface below.

Use your paddle bit and line up the point with the pencil marking to drill the holes. Make sure the holes are large enough to fit the rope you’ll thread into them later on.

Step 2: Sew the Pockets

Next, it’s time to whip out your sewing machine to make the pockets. In the tutorial, faux leather was used to make two pairs of pockets for the organizer.

Start by cutting the foam or leather material into 4 x 26cm x 15cm sections. Layer the sections and keep the pockets aligned. You can use pins but only if the material is made from cloth otherwise, the pins will leave marks.

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

Now, thread your machine with a thread that matches the color of the leather material you used. Stitch around the outside of the leather, about a centimeter from the edge.

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

Measure the sewn material halfway (should be square in the middle of the leather) then start stitching in a straight horizontal line to create the twin pockets. The tutorial recommends sewing from bottom to top to keep the stitching even. By the time you’re done sewing, you should have two pairs of rectangular pockets.

Step 3: Assembling the Organizer

After sewing, apply a thin layer of wood glue onto the back of the pockets. Then, stick the pockets on the plywood, pressing down firmly as you do. You have to make sure the pockets dry as flatly as possible. I suggest laying something heavy on top of the pockets until the glue dries.

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

While waiting for the glue to dry, get your rope and thread it through the holes you made with the light wood. Secure the ends of the rope with a tight double knot.

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

And there you have it, your very own hanging organizer! Isn’t it neat? You can use this organizer to tidy up your desk and keep small items out of sight!

Photo Credit: thelovelydrawer.com

Got more apartment hacks you’d like to share? Let us know in the comment section.

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It's Time To Design The Home Of Your Dreams!

Did you ever dream of redesigning your home but felt overwhelmed by the process? We can help! Click below to Access the Space Optimized Free Course “Learning To Design The Home of Your Dreams!” and get started today!